Boston Movers Blog

Boston movers Marathon Moving Company was recently featured on Needham Channel News supporting the 4th Annual Needham Gives Back Product Drive - Cradles to Crayons a Boston based local charity.

Click play to watch the video above, or click here to watch the full story.

Many people opt to pack themselves in order to save money. Before you decide this type of move is the one for you, ask yourself a few questions first.

Make the reservations?
When you move yourself you need to manage the details. Make all of the necessary reservations. If you are packing and moving yourself, be sure to reserve the truck. And, be sure you reserve a truck that can fit all of your stuff.

If friends or family are helping you move and/or pack, be sure you have reserved their time as well.

Do you have what you need to pack?
So several weeks before the actual move, it is time to pack. Do you have your packing boxes and other supplies in order? You need all of the necessary packing tools in order before you begin to pack. Buy moving boxes from a local moving company. In addition to moving boxes, you’ll need packing materials to protect items inside the boxes. You might also purchase packing peanuts.

Be sure you have the right materials to pack fragile items like dishes and glassware. You need packing paper and the right moving boxes. For you other possessions, be sure to have on hand, mattress bags, bubble wrap and packing tape.
 
For packing materials, packing help and videos or assistance with your move, contact Marathon Moving.

There are ways to make your move less stressful, and allow it to be the enjoyable life event that it should be. You are beginning anew, enjoy it. In order to decrease stress, the more time you give yourself preparing for the move, the less stress you will have during the move. Here are some things to think about well ahead of time (a couple months in advance if you can), in order to reduce stress, stay organized, and stay calm. 

• Make a moving file so all your move information is in one place.
• Make the decision: Will you hire a moving company or move yourself?
• If you are hiring company do your research and hire a moving company.
• If you are making a long-distance move, check to see if there are any special considerations you need to make like arranging for auto shipping.
• Set up a moving budget.
• Do some research on the area you will be moving to and research local schools.
• Find new care providers, like doctors, child care, for you and your family.
• Look into transferring any school or medical records.
• Make a list of who to notify about your move and when. This is a list of friends, creditors, doctors, schools, and any church or professional organizations.
• Start gathering and purchasing moving supplies and moving boxes.

There are plenty of moving checklists and timelines available with the intention of a stress free, or at least, stress free move. In order to set up an appointment for an in home estimate, contact Marathon Moving.

In Massachusetts we have seen quite a few new families who are first time home buyers moving from apartments to new homes. A “moving out of your apartment checklist” can help reduce stress and leave the guesswork behind.

Three months before your move:

• Be sure to read your lease through to find out how much advance notice is required by your land lord.
• See what needs to be done to get your security deposit returned.
• As dictated by the terms of your lease, give formal notice of your move.
• Find a recommended moving company.

• Fill out a change of address form with the post office.
• Notifying utility companies that you are either canceling existing service, or transferring service to your new address.
• Get moving boxes and packing supplies and start packing items you don’t use very often, such as books or knickknacks if you are packing yourself.
• Send your landlord or community management your new contact information.

• Remove any pictures you hung on the wall and fill in any holes left behind, if required in your lease.
• Let your credit cards and banks know your new address as well as your human resources department.
• Be sure you have left no belongings in the communal areas of your apartment building.

The week of your move:

• Thoroughly clean you apartment. It might be easier to schedule a cleaning service to handle this for you.
• Schedule a walkthrough of your apartment with your landlord or apartment manager.
• Find out when you are going to get your security deposit back. Be sure to write down the date so you can be on the lookout and follow up if necessary.
• Be sure to return keys and access cards to your landlord or apartment manager.

In all of our moves around the Boston area, we compiled a some moving tips, but overtime we have learned from our customers that there are two tips in particular that seemed to make their moving experience much easier. We would like everyone who is moving to know what our customers have learned.
 
Start early. In fact it is never too early to begin packing for your move. As soon as you know that you are moving, you should start organizing and thinking about the move. Moving is a very time consuming process and there are a lot of rooms to pack. If you are not a seasoned mover, most likely you will be surprised at how much time it takes to organize for your move.

Begin packing items you rarely use, like your china cabinet, seasonal clothes or formal living room.

Create “Open First” boxes and pack some suitcases. A big challenge in moving is trying to find what you need in your new home. Solve this by packing a suitcase for each person in your family with the necessary items for about 3 days. Keep these suitcases handy for when you arrive. Also, create an "open first" box for each room. Label these boxes in a different color, so they are easily found among the other boxes. These moving boxes may include items like soap, dish soap, coffee maker and coffee, toilet paper, towels, silverware, and some snacks.  These boxes will make the first overnight in your new home much easier.

For help with your move, or for more tips on moving contact Marathon Moving.

For a commercial or local move, you could get boxes from the grocery and liquor stores in which to pack your personal possessions. But why? Using boxes from grocery and liquor stores opens you up to stained or compromised boxes, pests, and boxes that are hard to label.

When you are packing for a commercial move or residential move, organization and safe and clean moving boxes are necessary. You are packing your personal possessions or, in the case of a commercial move, you are packing up your business. Nothing is more important than the care of these items.

Order clean moving boxes and all of your packing supplies from Marathon Moving. Marathon makes it easy with free home/office delivery of your supplies with a minimum $100.00 order.

For any box delivery between September 15th and December 15th 2011, buy $100 in packing supplies or boxes and receive the next $50 worth free. Maximum of $50 in free materials per move. All you have to do is mention the website-only box promotion when ordering your boxes. And don’t forget about the free home/office delivery. Contact Marathon Moving for your Moving supplies.

You are moving and you need packing supplies. Besides moving boxes and packing paper, you may be considering packing peanuts and bubble wrap for your more fragile items.

Packing peanuts and bubble wrap are two popular packaging products but which is best for providing packing protection?

Bubble wrap is very popular for those who want to store or move artwork. But it is also perfect for moving electrical components, glass, china and all things breakable. And, if you are going to self pack, it reduces the time you are going to spend packing.

While packing peanuts are good for filling the spaces in moving boxes, when you are wrapping fragile items, bubble wrap is best because it can be folded around the item you are packing for protection. It is unmoving and the item is perfectly protected and insulated.

If it is fragile, bubble wrap can ease your state of mind because it offers protection from damage caused by shock or vibration.
 
Contact Marathon Moving for your moving supplies.

Many people opt to pack themselves when they move. If you decide to do this, be sure to take enough time to do it so that the packing doesn’t become a race to the finish. When you pack in a hurry, things get broken. Also, be sure you have the right moving and packing supplies.

Be sure that everything is in the right sized box. Boxes that are too small allow your items to get damaged, but also, they don’t stack properly, making your move inefficient and precarious.

Be sure that you use enough packing paper, newspaper or peanuts. If you leave extra space in a box, that area needs to be filled with paper or peanuts so that the item does not move in transit. Using too much packing paper is better than using too little.

Sofa pillows also make great packing filler.

When packing books, face the spines of the books to the outside of the box. This protects the book ends and has them in there at their sturdiest.

CD’s should also be placed on their ends, not flat. This is how CD’s are at their sturdiest.

Be sure that all of your boxes are labeled in multiple spots to make it easiest to know where the boxes should go. It is better to label the boxes by the room rather than the contents. You are paying the movers by the hours, so you definitely want them to easily be able to find where the box goes.

When you are packing fragile items in a box, be sure there is a cushioniong at the bottom of the box. Either a sofa pillow, a layer of packing peanuts, or some rolls of packing paper.

At Marathon Moving, we have all kinds of moving tips for you. Watch our videos for more information on packing  moving boxes.

Marathon Moving Company wants your office move to go as smoothly as possible. If you have decided to pack and prepare the office supplies, equipment, and furniture yourselves, we would like to offer the following packing and  moving tips to help ensure the safe arrival of your whole office set-up.

DO NOT MOVE UNNECESSARY ITEMS
• Before packing, purge unnecessary supplies, files, etc. that you won’t need in your new office.

WHEN PACKING CARTONS

• Moving small plants, deck clocks, pictures and other personal property is generally the responsibility of the employees that own them.
• All moving boxes are to be packed tightly and sealed to prevent damage and disarrangement due to shifting. All cartons need to be labeled clearly with destination and contents.
• All keys are to remain in the possession of the employee who uses or is assigned responsibility for the locked items. Do not leave keys in desks or file cabinets.
• Remove ink and other liquids from drawers and place in packing cartons. Caps must be on tightly to prevent leakage. Desk pen and ink sets must be emptied. For additional protection please place liquids in a plastic bag and seal.
• Glassware and breakable objects should be wrapped with white newsprint or bubble wrap and packed securely in cartons to prevent breakage.
• Small articles such as pencils, pens, scissors, paper clips, erasers, rubber bands, etc. should be placed in sealed envelopes which are then packed in cartons.
• Place letter trays in packing cartons. Multiple tray assemblies should be taken apart before packing.

• These items will be moved on end and certain precautionary measures and preparations are required.
• To prevent the contents of the desk from becoming disarranged, remove all contents and place in moving boxes.
• Please lock drawers if possible.
• Glass desk tops, desk pads and chair mats must bear the same identification label as the desks to which they belong.

• Vertical file cabinets will be moved with contents intact.
• The sliding guide at the back of each drawer should be moved tightly against the files.
• Vertical files over 2 drawers should be packed if there are stairs involved. The bottom 2 drawers can remain full.
• Lateral file cabinets over 2 drawers must be completely emptied when stairs are involved.
• If there are no stairs involved lateral file cabinets can be moved with up to 3 drawers full. For cabinets over 3 drawers the top drawers should be emptied and the bottom drawers left full.
• Please lock your file cabinets if you have the keys. If you don’t have a key, the cylinder lock on the files should be taped open to prevent inadvertent locking.
• More than ordinary attention must be given to the sequential numbering of file cabinets, sectional bookcases, etc. with respect to location and destination.

• Remove all contents and place in moving boxes. Observe the instructions for small articles and liquids.
• Shelves will be removed due to shifting and must bear the same identification label as the cabinet to which they belong.
• Shelf tabs should be removed and placed in an envelope and packed into packing boxes with the contents from the cabinet or bookcase.

• Large pictures and wall mounted bulletin/white boards must be labeled.
• Do not place labels directly on to the artwork.
• Marathon Moving will pad the artwork unless otherwise directed.

• Laptops should be moved by the employee normally responsible for that laptop.
• Back up your P.C. hard drive if applicable. Please take your back up disc with you.
• Remove toner from laser printers and fax machines. Place in tightly sealed bags.
• Label all equipment and accessories. (Do not place label directly on the CRT screen).
• Disconnect all cables. Place your keyboard in your keyboard bag, (provided by Marathon), along with your cables, mouse, mouse pads, speakers, etc. Seal your keyboard bag tightly and place a label on the outside.
• Copiers need to be prepped prior to moving and many lease contracts require that the lease company move the machine. Call your service representative to check your warranty or service contract to make sure moving contractor is authorized.
• If owned and allowed by service contract, all ink and water must be drained from machines.
• Please consult your MIS department or owner’s manual for specific directions with respect to moving your electronic and computer equipment.

Boston Movers

Whether you are moving due to your job, or simply because you want to, it would be wise to consider hiring a moving company to ensure that all goes well and your possessions arrive safely.   However, there are some details that only you can address. Here are some helpful tips on how to manage the details while you getting ready to move.

Start by making a list of everything that has to be done, and keep it handy for instant reference. Be sure the moving company knows the dates involved so that they can schedule their trucks and employees for loading up and transporting your household goods.

If you have more than one vehicle, ask about auto transport services, because this could save you money on gasoline depending on how far the move is.

If you have dogs or cats, plan ahead for how your pets will be transported. They could simply ride in the car, but if your company is flying you and your family to your new home, then you will need to make arrangements for your pets. Airlines have requirements on what type of crates are approved, so contact them and find out what you need before the move.

Decide if you want to pack boxes yourself, having the movers simply load the boxes onto the truck.  If you want the movers to do all of the packing, be sure to specify this before getting a estimate. Call the moving company to get quotes.

Don't forget to notify all of the utility companies of the date you need them to turn off services. Also, be sure the address change forms have been filed out and given to the post office an the trash pick-up has been cancelled. Moving companies are not responsible for addressing these issues.

If you owe property taxes, you will need to notify the tax assessor’s office that you are moving and make and address change with them. Even if your house is still on the market, it is up to you to make sure all government agencies are away of your new address. When your house goes through closing, you will be released from the involved tax burdens, but until then you are still liable for paying property taxes, even if you are moving.

If there is a chance that you will need storage for some of your possessions, be sure to ask the moving company if they have long or short term storage. You should get estimates on these facilities at the same time that you set up arrangements with your mover, so you have a budget firmly in place with no last minute surprises.  

Moving Companies in Boston